Four LNG carriers for QatarEnergy’s expanding fleet named in South Korea

Qatar’s state-owned energy giant QatarEnergy has inaugurated four new liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels built at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Hanwha Ocean shipyards in South Korea.

The four conventional-size tankers named after locations in Qatar form part of what is said to be the largest shipbuilding program in the LNG shipping industry’s history. The six-vessel order placed with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) in September brings the tally to 128, including 24 QC-Max mega vessels.

This is the second set of vessels from the Qatari giant’s new fleet to get their names, following September’s naming ceremony for Rex Tillerson and Umm Ghuwailina at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, China.

Fatima Mohammed Al-Ali, Assistant Manager of Scholarship and Vocational Programs at QatarEnergy, named the vessels at two separate naming ceremonies in Geoje, South Korea. These were attended by senior executives and representatives from the shipyards, shipowner companies, and representatives of the Korean government, in addition to senior executives from QatarEnergy and QatarEnergy LNG.

The Id’asah LNG carrier was the first to be named at a ceremony held at Samsung Heavy’s yard.

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: “This very special occasion highlights the growth of QatarEnergy’s strategic partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries and JP Morgan Asset Management’s Global Transportation Group. This event is not only a milestone in our journey, but also a celebration of our partnership and joint commitment to deliver cleaner energy to the world.”

This was followed by a second naming ceremony for the three remaining new builds at Hanwha Ocean’s year – Nuaijah, Umm Swayyah, and Lebrethah, all of which are expected to join QatarEnergy’s growing LNG fleet soon.

Minister Al-Kaabi noted: “This is a historic moment as these three LNG vessels prepare to set sail on their missions across the globe, providing a cleaner and more economic source of energy, and are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies to achieve optimal fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.”

Minister Al-Kaabi extended his gratitude to the vessels’ owners forming part of the KGL Consortium – Pan Ocean, H-Line Shipping, and SK Shipping, as well as the shipbuilder for its dedication and commitment.

According to the Qatari major, the LNG fleet is key to the development of the country’s 1971-discovered North Field, which is undergoing expansion. Shared between Iran and Qatar and known as South Pars on the Iranian side, the field is described as the world’s largest single non-associated natural gas field.

The North Field LNG expansion program encompasses the North Field East (NFE), the North Field South (NFS), and North Field West (NFW) projects to raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77 to 142 million tons per annum (mtpa) in 2030.​

Last month, McDermott secured an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract for the NFS project. The U.S. player will work on almost 250 kilometers of offshore and onshore gas pipelines connecting five new offshore wellhead platforms with two new onshore LNG trains in addition to subsea composite power and control cables.